Former Russia worldwide footballer dies, aged 43, combating in Ukraine – after becoming a member of Vladimir Putin’s forces to flee 10-year jail sentence for drug smuggling
- Aleksei Bugayev, 43, has been killed while fighting in the Russia-Ukraine conflict
- The ex-Russia footballer was sentenced to 10 years in prison for drug trafficking
- Bugayev joined Vladimir Putin’s forces amid Russia’s drive to recruit criminals
Former international footballer Aleksei Bugayev has been killed while fighting in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, his father confirmed on Monday.
The 43-year-old ex-Russia international joined Vladimir Putin‘s forces just months after being sentenced to 10 years in prison for drug trafficking.
Bugayev, who represented Russia during the 2004 European Championships and retired in 2010 at the age of 29, was reportedly attempting to sell almost half a kilogram of methylephedrine and could have been sentenced to a total of 20 years had he not pleaded guilty in court.
With the conflict in Ukraine continuing to persist after nearly three years of fighting, Russia’s president Putin has been keenly recruiting new soldiers to the frontline to deal with the increased number of casualties.
After his drug trafficking conviction, Bugayev — who has been held in custody since November 2023 — pledged to fight for Putin’s army in Ukraine amid a drive to recruit criminals in Russia.
With reports that approximately 200,000 Russian soldiers have been killed since the conflict began, Putin signed a bill to allow prisoners to fight — with some even able to join the frontline ahead of their respective trials.
Former international footballer Aleksei Bugayev has been killed while fighting in Ukraine
Bugayev (back row, third right) represented Russia during the 2004 European Championships
Russia president Vladimir Putin (above) has been keenly recruiting new soldiers to the frontline and has signed a bill to allow prisoners to fight with almost 200,000 of his troops already dead
The former footballer’s death was confirmed by his father Ivan, who told Sport24: ‘Unfortunately, the news about Aleksei’s death is true. It happened today.’
It was also tragically revealed by Bugayev’s agent Anton Smirnov that the 43-year-old’s body could not be retrieved for burial.
Smirnov claimed it was ‘impossible’ to recover his body due to the intense nature of the conflict where he died.
The former Lokomotiv Moscow and Krasnodar star made seven senior appearances for Russia during his career, representing his country on the pitch for the final time against Italy in 2005.
